Save the Next Girl’s community awareness night to include Q&A on human trafficking

Participants in a human trafficking awareness event in St. George, Utah, Oct. 20, 2018 | File photo by Markee Heckenliable, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — In conjunction with a conference on human trafficking, speakers with expertise on the topic and a panel of professionals from the Southern Utah community will conduct a Q&A open to the public on Tuesday.

Save the Next Girl, a local nonprofit that aims to bring awareness to human trafficking, is hosting its third community education conference, as well as a 24-hour rowing fundraiser from April 26-27.

Funds raised this year will go to the Slave Free Project by SERT Ministries – a nonprofit that consists of teams that rescue those who are missing or held against their will.

Amie Ellis, founder of Save the Next Girl, told St. George News that the Slave Free Project by SERT Ministries was fundamental in helping find her daughter, who was reported missing in February 2017.

Human trafficking is considered the fastest growing crime in the U.S., according to the Human Trafficking Hotline website. More than 5,000 cases of human trafficking were reported in 2018 – with 35 of those cases in Utah.

This year’s speakers and community panel will focus on answering questions people may have about human trafficking, Ellis said.

Speakers for the event include the following:

  • Amie Ellis.
  • Michelle Guymon, director of the Child Trafficking Unit for the Los Angeles County Probation department.
  • Jason Sisneros, motivational speaker and advocate against human trafficking.
  • Leah Hullinger, Amie’s sister.
  • Rudy Gonzalez, director of SERT Ministries.

The panel of speakers and the Q&A that will follow will be held in the Electric Theater Center, located at 68 E. Tabernacle St., from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday.

For more information on the conference or rowing fundraiser, visit the Save the Next Girl website.

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Twitter: @STGnews | @markeekaenews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.

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